


No Game No (Second) Life

by JadedHex



Category: No Game No Life - Kamiya Yuu, 幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil (Anime), 幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil (Manga), 幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil - Carlo Zen (Light Novels)
Genre: Crossover, Eventual Romance, F/F, Gen, super duper au, youjo senki no game no life fusion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:55:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadedHex/pseuds/JadedHex
Summary: Tanya Degurechaff was an ordinary teen. Sure, she'd never lost a game in her life, and sure, her rationale was somewhat abnormal. But hey, everyone had some sort of quirk to them. After being transported somewhere completely new, she finally gets to put herself to the test. Armed with her game skills and the gift of a second life, Tanya will take the world of Disboard by storm. Watch out Tet!
Relationships: Tanya von Degurechaff/Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov
Comments: 13
Kudos: 58





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I rewatched NGNL recently and thought, "Wow, I want to write a fic for that." So I combined my favorite fandom in Youjo Senki with the world of Disboard.
> 
> You (probably) don't need to know much about Youjo Senki unless you want to understand the references and inside jokes I'll throw in.

**12:37 AM, Spring**

**Backstreets, Chiyoda Ward**

**Tokyo, Japan**

Tanya flipped on her headphones.

They were an older model, beat up and scuffed from constant use. The left ear was ever so slightly quieter than the right, and the edges around the charging port were scuffed and somewhat chipped. Still, they were wireless and worked mostly fine.

They were also the only pair she had. Her job in Akihabara paid her well enough to get by, not enough to buy the newest tech willy-nilly. True, her phone was one of the newer models, but it was to celebrate her graduation. She was allowed to splurge sometimes.

Tanya kept walking as a new pop song trickled into her ears. The shoelaces on one foot came undone, but she honestly couldn’t care less. It wasn’t exactly bothering her.

Who was this song by again? K slash something or other? It didn’t really matter. The song was just background noise to Tanya; she was much more invested in her current game. That is to say, the current game of five she was running across different tabs.

The one on her screen at this particular moment looked like a new form of Othello. The pieces were blue and pink instead and black and white. It appeared that was the only difference.

A small sound of triumph escaped her.

 _“Victory!”_ flashed up in vibrant, alternating colors.

Tanya smirked. As if the screen would show anything different. The Argent never loses, after all. The other player was probably her best opponent up to this point, but it didn’t really matter. She still won.

Tanya _always_ won.

She closed the tab for another. This one looked like a competitive word creator game. Hopefully whoever was facing her had a dictionary on hand, if only to hit themselves over the head with out of shame from their inevitable loss.

Her breath formed a light fog under the muted neon lights. A breeze lightly blew past, causing Tanya to shiver and pull her jacket tighter and adjust her backpack. Of course, it would be cold. Even if it was spring, the day had carried a chill reminisce of the winter, and the night just made it that much worse.

It was unfortunate she got out so late from her job. However, considering her circumstances, it was Tanya’s best option. She had done the cost-benefit analysis, and she’d further cross-referenced every other potential job in the nearby area that was also hiring someone of her specific age and skill level. The current situation was the most rational and beneficial one, considering everything.

A shadow flitted in her peripheral vision. A quick glance down an alleyway showed nothing of note. Just because it was it was the best option didn’t make it a great one.

Or a safe one.

Tanya turned her attention back to her game. A few more minutes of walking and playing ended with another victory screen. She closed that app as well.

Somewhere nearby, a tin can was kicked accidentally. A muffled curse could barely be heard through her left headphone. Tanya glanced around before speeding up.

“Hey!” Someone stepped out in front of her. She stopped and pulled her headphones down around her neck.

_What the hell…_

“Remember me, bitch?” The person pulled down their mask to reveal a sad-looking man with a five o’clock shadow pushing 6 or 7 o’clock.

Tanya squinted. Recognition filled her expression a moment later.

“…Aren’t you the idiot who lost ten games of double-or-nothing Blackjack? I kept telling you to quit you know.”

“Yes, that’s- wait no! I mean, yeah that was me, but…” The man flipped her off with one hand while reaching into his coat with the other. “Fuck you! I bet a lot of money on those games! Now I’m broke, and it’s your fault!”

“Honestly, that doesn’t seem like my problem.” Tanya shrugged. She glanced down at her phone. A chess match was playing, and her opponent was already in Check. How were they top ten globally? “You knew the rules when you challenged the House, aka me. Maybe you should take up some other game that doesn’t involve gambling. Which means no gacha, unfortunately.”

“Sh-shut up!” He finishes fumbling around in his pocket. Slowly and shakily, the angry man drew out a very _very_ sharp looking pocketknife. “ _You_ are the one who beat me and took my money, so I think it _is_ your problem.”

 _What the hell! Me and my big mouth!_ Tanya’s eyes widened. _This is really bad!_ _I almost expected a gun, but I’m glad it isn’t. Video games might have skewed my perception there a bit. Though, given how much money this guy seems to throw away, there’s no real way he’d be able to afford a gun and ammunition._

“Now, we can talk about this…”

The man steps forward. Tanya steps back.

“I said SHUT UP!” He stepped forward once more. “The only one gambling tonight is you with your own life. And guess what? You lost!”

Tanya frowned while still backing away. _Lost? I’d be offended if this was a game. Too bad it isn’t. Alright Tanya, think! Try reasoning with him, no matter how irrational he’s being right now._

“Listen, you don’t have to do this. I’m sure you can make your money back.” Tanya’s voice tinged on desperation as the man kept approaching. “I’ll even help! Just put the knife away so we can talk like civilized human beings. Just stop. Stop!”

He didn’t respond. The dark expression on his face only worsened; his hatred was clear despite the nighttime darkness.

 _Well that didn’t work._ Tanya let out a small gasp when her backpack stopped her against something solid. _Ah fuck. Shit. This is so fucking unfair._ Her eyes caught a tensing in his shoulders. Her powerful mind went into overdrive to find the solution that always appeared in her games. _Okay, okay. Gotta dodge, gotta live. Just like Shadow Souls. Damn I hate Shadow Souls._

The man lunged forward; Tanya jumped sideways. The knife sparked against the stone wall. One dodge down. Now, she just needed to run like hell. 

As Tanya turned to bolt, the laces on her untied shoe caught up under her other foot. She landed a few meters away with a grunt, scrapes opening on her palms. She flipped over, before freezing out of fear.

“Nice try.” The man raised his knife. Tanya could only stare in horror “But I’m afraid your luck’s run out.”

_I’m going to die alone in the dark to a man with a gambling problem. This is truly an unjust game. If there is a God out there… go fuck yourself._

The knife came down.

\-----

_Tanya’s eyes were shut tight. A few seconds ticked by. Strangely enough, she wasn’t feeling any stab wounds. Or any wounds at all. Her hands weren’t even hurting._

_Her eyes opened, slowly at first, then wide as the situation registered properly._

_Her would-be murderer had just… stopped. She glanced around._

_…Everything had stopped?_

_“My, my, that was a close one!” A bubbly voice from behind caught her attention. “Honestly, though, ‘go fuck yourself’? How rude.”_

_Tanya crawled out from under the knife-wielding man’s shadow and slowly got to her feet. She turned, not knowing what to expect._

_“Although, I don’t really blame you. Who just let’s these things happen?” The voice, now revealed to belong to a boyish figure in pink and green, continued. “Violence is such an unfair concept. Strong people bullying weak people, war killing hundreds of thousands… You couldn’t dream up a more unjust game to play.”_

_Tanya blinked. Hadn’t she just been thinking something like that?_

_“Err, who are you? And…” She looked around at the paused landscape. “…What’s going on? Am I dead? Is this a hallucination from blood loss?”_

_The boy giggled. “I can understand the confusion. Let me help. To answer your questions: I am the God known as Tet, I froze time to speak with you, you are not dead, and this is not a hallucination from blood loss.”_

_A God? Like, one God of several? Well, if they were going to give her a target…_

_“God huh? Supposing this is real and not a hallucination…” Tanya points sharply at Tet. “What the hell, man? If God is real, then why do things like this happen? Honestly, I’d rather reject the existence of God. If he lets this happen then he must be closer to a devil. Or, maybe just some Being who doesn’t know how to do anything right. Is this your fault? I’m a rational person, but this is pushing it.”_

_Tet raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Now, now. While I am a God, I’m not your God. Direct your anger at the guy who runs this other world, not me.”_

_“That’s assuming you are a God in the first place.” Tanya crossed her arms. She hadn’t missed that ‘other world’ bit. “If you didn’t have an actual name, I’d just call you Being X. Which brings me back to an earlier question. Who are you?”_

_The ‘God’ floated as if sneering at gravity. It was actually kind of cool._

_“Right! Let me explain.” Tet cleared his throat. “I am the One True God, Tet. However, I’m not the God of Earth.”_

_She raised an eyebrow. ‘One True God’, huh? Something important must have brought him here. Was it her? “Okay then. If you really are the God of something or other, why are you here? I assume you have a legitimate reason for saving my life.”_

_Tet grinned. “You’d be right! That quick mind is exactly what I’d expect from the first person to beat me in a game in millennia.”_

_Her brow furrowed. “When…?”_

_“About 10 minutes ago!” Tet interrupted while floating closer. His eyes were different colors each, and they were also different colors within each eye. It was a little weird. “You beat me at Othello! As the God of Play, no one’s beaten me at Othello before! Or anything else, actually. Anyway, you interest me!”_

_This God, Being, or whatever was her opponent? It was kind of sad that a human could beat him. Though, in his defense, she was the Argent. Tet had never lost. Tanya had never and would never lose. There was a difference. Tanya would never admit that to his face though. She was confident, not arrogant._

_Tet continued, “So, now that we’ve got the introduction out of the way, I have a question of my own. Tanya, if I told you there was a world, where violence and war and things like this-” Tet gestured at the Tanya’s would-be murderer. “-can’t and never happen, where disputes over territory, bartering, leadership, are all decided through games… what would you think?”_

_“What would I think?” Tanya murmured._

_Her brain kicked into overdrive. A world where everything was decided through games? No war. No violence. Hmm._

_She was the Argent. A name feared and whispered in gaming forums and gaming communities alike. A devilish opponent who could never be beat, even with hacks and cheats. The best player in everything she touched; never losing even once._

_A world decided by games. If a world like that truly existed, then…_

_“If this kind of world really exists, then I was born in the wrong one.” Tanya shakes her head._

_Tet laughed. “I thought you’d say that.”_

_He snapped his fingers._

\-----

Time resumed, and Tanya was no longer in Japan.

“WHAT IS THIS!!” The Argent screamed as she fell from the sky.

“Hahaha! Welcome to the world of games Tanya! This is Disboard!” Tet flew down beside her as she fell. “Everything here is decided by games! No war and no violence, just like I said!”

“Tet, this is crazy!”

“I know right? I bet you never thought such a cool place could exist.” Tet laughed again. Before Tanya could yell at him, he held up his hands, fingers splayed out. “Now that you’re here, I’ll go over Disboard’s rules! These are the 10 Pledges I put in place when I became the One True God.”

Tanya tried gesturing at the rapidly approaching ground, but Tet ignored her.

“One: All murder, war, and robbery is forbidden in this world!”

The God of Play counted down with a finger.

“Two: All conflict in this world will be resolved through games!”

“Three: In games, each player will bet something that they agree is of equal value!”

“Four: As long as it doesn't violate pledge three, anything may be bet, and any game may be played!”

“Five: The challenged party has the right to decide the rules of the game!”

Tet smiled widely and closed one hand. He kept going.

“Six: Any bets made in accordance with the pledges must be upheld!”

“Seven: Conflicts between groups will be conducted by designated representatives with absolute authority!”

The ground was really close at this point.

“Eight: Being caught cheating during a game is grounds for an instant loss!”

“Nine: In the name of god, the previous rules may never be changed!”

By now, Tanya had accepted that she’d escaped one death just to experience another. She shut her eyes tight.

**Whoom!**

A big dust cloud kicked up. A few seconds went by as the wind blew it away, revealing Tanya hovering a few centimeters off the ground. Having not died with the impact, Tanya once again opened her eyes after a near death experience. The floating cancelled out a moment later, and the Argent hit the ground softly.

She sat up as Tet floated down. He was still holding up one more finger.

“And maybe the most important one of all. Ten: Let's all have fun and play together!” The God flipped his hand into a thumbs up. “Welcome to Disboard! Play lots of games, okay? We’ll meet again soon!”

With that, Tet abruptly vanished. Tanya stared, still in shock.

A look around revealed part of the bizarre world she had landed in.

Were those… giant chess pieces?

A laugh bubbled up in her throat. This was real. She was in a different world!

“Heheh… Ahahaha!” She plopped back down with a massive grin. “A world run by games… I think I might finally be home.”

Tanya pulled out her phone and opened the Notes app. She needed to start planning.

Disboard had no idea what was coming.

\-------------------

**Omake (Back in Japan)**

**12:44 AM, Spring**

**Backstreets, Chiyoda Ward**

**Tokyo, Japan**

Time resumed. The sad man swung his pocketknife down, only to hit nothing but air.

“Huh?” He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. Nope, the girl was still gone. “What? WHAT?!”

He was later arrested for disturbing the peace and placed in a mental asylum. Apparently, ‘she disappeared right in front of me’ was not something sane people generally said in a court of law.

Good riddance.


	2. New Girl in Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a lot of fun with this one. This is where the AU really begins.

**Late Morning**

**Countryside**

**Elkia Kingdom**

“Miss, I realize we lost but,” A rough-looking man and his two companions kneeled in front of her. “Can you at least leave us something to wear!?”

Tanya looked up from her phone and raised an amused eyebrow.

“Hah?” She scrolled down a bit, then turned the screen towards the men. “Pledge number six: any bets made in accordance with the pledges must be upheld. You bet everything you had on you. You lost. Deal with it.”

The lead man closed his eyes and raised clasped hands. “Miss, please! We can’t go around like this! At least let us keep the pants!”

He looked back up, then around. “Huh?”

She was gone! The three men frantically searched for a moment, before spotting Tanya already walking away. It seems they were stuck in just their underwear for the time being. Without any money.

“DAMN YOOOUUU!!”

\----------

“Heh. Chumps.” Tanya grinned. “Now, let’s take stock, shall we?”

The path Tanya had been traveling down ran parallel to a moderately-sized river that flowed into the area’s only city. That’s what the losers from earlier told her during their game, at least. Given the circumstances, she was inclined to believe them.

Elkia River was its name, and it flowed into the capitol of the Elkia Kingdom known as Elkia City. The people of this world were apparently very unoriginal.

A bit off the side of the mixed gravel/dirt path, Tanya kneeled and rifled through her backpack. A well-kept laptop and a Mintendo DS were checked and secured in their own pockets, as were their respective chargers. The folder of old homework that she never threw away was ignored.

She made a mental note to burn it later.

Her newly acquired men’s clothing went in the big pocket, while the bag of recently appropriated Elkian currency went into an inner pocket in her jacket.

The jacket was styled after a popular blue-haired character in a popular fantasy tactical role-playing game. Awoken, or something like that. It wasn’t very challenging to Tanya, so she didn’t bother remembering it too closely. The jacket was cool though. It was on sale, so there was no reason not to buy it honestly. The jacket topped a red shirt that said: ‘Gamers Don’t Die, They Respawn’ in white text. In Tanya’s defense, this one was a gift. Otherwise she’d never wear it.

The less it was mentioned, the better.

Completing the ensemble were worn, dark jeans and bright, entirely red sneakers. She owned the pair of shoes simply because of a preference toward the color red and the fact that they looked awesome. It had absolutely no correlation to that time she played the FF7 Remake and found Tifa really hot.

How dare you even ask that? The nerve of some people.

Admittedly, she had little need for the would-be game bandits’ clothing from earlier, but they bet e _verything_. So, there was little to be done. The cloak was nice though. Really gave off ‘I’m now in a fantasy world’ type vibes.

“Well then.” Tanya swung her backpack over her shoulders and pulled out her phone. A few quick presses and swipes later had a new note opened.

‘Goal’ was typed in bold font at the top. “I think my goal for now will be to secure a living space. I’ll figure out the rest from there.”

She adjusted her new cloak, making sure it fit comfortably over her pack. Gravel crunched under her shoes as she stepped away from the river side and began making her way down the path. Elkia City was apparently an hour or so walk away, and Tanya didn’t feel like wasting any more daylight.

There were games to play.

\---------

**Around Noon**

**Double Blank Inn**

**Elkia City, Elkia Kingdom**

The Double Blank Inn had existed for nearly two centuries. The two-story building served as a semi-popular stopping point for weary travelers heading to or near Elkia City’s heart, the castle.

Unfortunately, most of its semi-popularity came from the novelty of its age. Its positioning was not the greatest for tourism and traveling businesses. 

Travelers weary from a long journey are far more likely to rest at an inn nearby. If you had just gotten back from a trip, wouldn’t you want to rest as soon as possible? It goes without saying that these resting places of choice tended to be the ‘other’ inns.

Actually, Tanya had walked further than necessary for this exact reason. Less people to run into meant less people to question her ‘unique’ clothing and tech. Plus, a less populated inn would be a quieter place to sleep.

In this sense, today was an odd one.

The Double Blank Inn was lively today. Much more lively than normal. On a normal day, the Inn’s bar would be serving patrons sparingly throughout the day; evening and early night were generally the only times it filled above half capacity.

Today was far and away from a normal day.

Tanya would agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment, though her reasoning was based off being transported to an entirely different world after nearly dying. To everyone else, the day was odd for entirely normal, non isekai-related reasons.

Tanya could infer this oddity in busyness through the hushed conversations of the people outside. The words ‘King’, ‘tournament’, and ‘gambling’ were thrown around.

Naturally, the Argent was interested.

Pulling her hood over her head, Tanya stepped up onto the Inn’s wooden-floored porch and peeked through the window.

The bar had every other seat full and most of the tables filled. A few card games were being played around the room, but none drew Tanya’s attention. The few playing seemed to be in it for fun; no ‘gambling tournament’ or ‘King’ as far as she could tell.

She gave another quick sweeping glance from outside the window.

“Maybe I’ll look more-” A flash of purple caught her eye. “-later… Oh?”

Tanya hadn’t noticed before, but there was a girl, probably near her own age, with long purple hair. She was wearing… a lot of red. The teen must have been stowed away in a corner; her color palette of choice stood out quite obviously.

By contrast, the one who sat across from the purple girl was quite tame in comparison. In the also similarly aged girl’s defense, it was hard to compete with purple hair. Though, that didn’t mean the other girl was plain.

On the contrary…

Her dress had a more muted color scheme, yet it fit a fancier theme than those of the patrons around her. A gift, perhaps, or a sign of a higher status. Either way, it was interesting.

The new girl shifted, her light brown hair catching a stray sunbeam from the same window Tanya was spying through. The girl almost seemed to glow for a second, even more so than this odd new world already did.

Speaking of which: back in her old world, colors certainly weren’t this vibrant, nor did people have naturally purple hair. It was almost as if Tet or whoever else might be responsible for Disboard’s creation built the world on an anime-styled color palette. Though, that _would_ fit Tet’s ‘everything is a game’ theme. Maybe she’d ask them about it next time they met.

Regardless, even without colorful hair reminisce of an anime Tanya would never admit to having watched, the brown-haired girl was far from plain.

The two inside exchanged words that she couldn’t hear, and the purple-haired one pulled out a deck of cards. She shuffled the deck and apparently made another comment, for the brown-haired girl pouted soon after.

Her face scrunched up adorably.

It was oddly warm at the moment; admittedly, the jacket and cloak combo Tanya sported did not help matters any.

The Argent looked away. As she did, a different person caught her eye for entirely separate reasons. She smirked.

“Card games, huh?” Tanya pulled her appropriated money bag out of her pocket. A quick glance inside revealed what she expected. “Not very much, but it won’t be a problem for long.”

\---------

A smug looking woman by the nickname of Dol sat at one of the Double Blank Inn’s two outside tables. It would be a good day for business. The woman smiled as she put a mostly empty card pack back in her pocket.

These tables were well positioned on the Inn’s porch. Outdoors enough for enjoying good weather while also staying under the porch’s overhang. In other words, they were the perfect spot for gaming drunken patrons out of their remaining currency.

The flush pouch of money laid on the table in front of her was evidence her past exploits in this; contrary to the pouch’s position near the table’s edge, her new deck of cards found its spot in the table’s dead center.

“Excuse me.”

“Hm?” Dol turned. An oddly dressed, oddly less vibrant cloaked teen was standing behind her. “What is it?”

The teen walked by and took the seat opposite her. “I don’t suppose you’re up for a Game, Miss?”

“A game?” She blinks. “I don’t see why not. And don’t call me Miss. It’s Dol.”

The teen —a girl, by her voice— pulls down her hood. “Well then, Dol, you can call me the Argent.”

“The Argent…?” Dol tested the ‘name’ out. Well, if the girl didn’t want to give her real name, then who was she to judge? It’s not like Dol was her real name either. “If that’s what you prefer. A casual game then-”

“Nope.” The Argent interrupted. “That isn’t what I said, is it? I asked for a Game. With a capital G. And I want you to bet that.”

She leans forward and points to Dol’s money pouch. Dol glances down reflexively.

Her eyes narrow as she looks back up. “A Game… So, you want my money? Bets through the Pledges have to be of equal value, you know.” Dol surveyed her possible opponent up and down in obvious fashion. “You don’t look like much. What can you even offer me?”

“Myself.”

“Eh?”

The girl smiles confidently.

“I bet myself. My life, the stuff on me right now, everything. You could sell me, keep me as a servant, or anything else you can think of.” The Argent pointed her thumb at herself. “My entire worth as a human is yours if you win. I’d say that’s at least an even value with that little sack of currency right there.”

“I… suppose so…” Dol struggles to hide her surprise. It is soon replaced with amusement. “Hmpf. If that’s your bet, then I’ll gladly play. Of course, I pick the game.”

“Naturally. I did challenge you.”

“At least you understand that much. Six-Card Golf will be our Game.”

“And the rules?”

Dol scoffed. “If you insist. We’ll each get six cards face down. Two are flipped at the start. Others may be flipped after discarding a draw from the deck, but not before. You can choose to draw or take the top card in the discard pile. For scoring, numbered cards are worth face value, jacks and queens are worth 10, and Kings are worth 0. No jokers. Two of the same cards above and below each other become a Cancel of 0 points. Four of the same card becomes a Book of -5 points.”

She takes a breath.

“The winner will be the one with the lowest number of points when the Game ends. The only difference to normal Golf is this. In pursuit of a shorter waste of my time, the game shall begin to end when one player’s last card is flipped up. The other player then has one last turn to finish out. Once all cards on the table are face-up, the Game is over. Any more questions?”

Tanya shook her head. “None. Shall we begin ?”

“Indeed.”

**“”Aschente!””**

The almost unnoticeable tingle of the Pledges’ magic fell over them.

Dol quickly shuffled and dealt out their respective cards.

A smirk grew on her face as she and her opponent flipped their opening two. She had every reason to be happy. It was easy to be happy with your cards when you cheated. The Ace from the deck’s bottom --hid up her sleeve earlier-- became her fifth card when she dealt a moment ago.

Even with a new deck, she brought her cheats pre-prepared.

“The non-dealer goes first.”

“Alright.” Tanya drew. She glanced between the card and her set of six for a moment before shaking her head. The card was placed in the discard pile, and one of her originals were flipped. “Huh, a Queen.”

Dol glanced at the discarded card. “And for a 5 as well. Unfortunate.”

She drew. A Three? Not bad at all, but she didn’t need it. She knew what cards she wanted. It was discarded, and Tanya took it for herself. It replaced one of her top row cards.

The game continued this way. Dol was mostly ignoring her draws and flipping while Tanya exchanged or flipped as the situation demanded.

A minute later, and the score was nearly even.

Dol had one card left to flip. Her two columns consisted of cancelled-out 7’s and Aces. With these as Cancels, and her second to last card also being an Ace, she was guaranteed a win.

She just needed to flip her sixth and last card, which should be the fourth Ace. The false shuffle she discretely performed at the start of the Game had never failed before.

Meanwhile, Tanya had only four of her six cards flipped; however, these also canceled to zero. Her time had been spent arranging and exchanging these four cards into a meticulous zero points. These were of a set of Queens and Jacks respectively.

It was the Argent’s turn now. After this, Dol would flip and win the game. With two unknown cards still in play on her opponent’s side, even a lucky draw now wouldn’t help. A Book was practically impossible for the girl.

The Argent drew from the greatly depleted deck.

A Two.

She replaced the top-right facedown card. Only the bottom-right card remained unseen.

Dol gave her opponent a smug grin. “It’s a shame, but I‘ll be ending this here. I was almost having fun too.”

She flipped over her last card.

A Three…

“Eh?!”

“That means I have to finish out my turn now, right?” The Argent asked, carefully schooling her expression. She flipped over her last card. Another Two. “Looks like I win.”

Dol’s eyes widened almost comically. “EEHHH!?!?”

Tanya shrugged. Seems Dol was expecting another outcome. Oh well.

**Final Score: Dol - 4, Tanya - 0**

**Game Over.**

\---------

Tanya tossed her new bag of Elkian currency up and down a bit, testing its weight. Her opponent had been struck speechless ever since her defeat.

“H- how… how did I… lose… even though I-”

Well, until now apparently.

The Argent stood. “Even though you cheated?”

Dol stiffened.

“Yes, I did know you were cheating. No, it didn’t matter. To be fair, I’m the Argent. That means I never lose, by the way.” Tanya strolled past the shellshocked woman.

A second later, she paused, turning her head back slightly in the other woman’s direction.

“It’s easy to cheat drunks and idiots. That’s why you hang out here, right?” The Argent gave her a sharp smirk. It was like that of a shark before prey. ”It’s unfortunate then, that _you_ happen to fall into one of those categories as well.”

Honestly, a _child_ would have noticed that false shuffle. And the old ‘Ace up the sleeve’ trick? Well, Tanya wasn’t 100% certain about it, but swindlers used that all the time. Why would this particular swindler be any different?

You’d think they would keep a King or an Eight --or anything else really-- up their sleeve as a mix-up once or twice, but no.

Technically, she could have called out her cheating opponent the second she noticed the shuffle. Pledge number 8: being caught cheating during a game is grounds for an instant loss.

Notice the phrasing? Cheating only mattered if you got caught.

She didn’t call out her opponent, though. Why would she? The Argent never had a chance to lose in the first place.

After all, she cheated as well.

It wasn’t even hard.

To explain, the deck of cards used by Dol was obviously new. In fact, Tanya had seen her unseal to card pack in the first place and take out the Jokers.

Now, when you open a new pack of cards, they are nearly guaranteed to come in a specific order. This order is as follows: Ace to King of Hearts, Ace to King of Clubs, King to Ace of Diamonds, and King to Ace of Spades. In other words, a new deck will almost certainly have an Ace on either end, barring Jokers or rule cards.

Pointing at Dol’s money pouch and causing her to look down out of reflex provided the split second she needed to lean forward and grab the top two cards from the deck. As she expected, they were an Ace and a Two. The Two went under her palm, to be used in the game, while the Ace was dropped in her lap.

Without the final Ace in a deck of 52, her opponent was literally unable to get a Book of -5 with Aces. Even if Dol went for another kind of Book, the false shuffle had been thrown off entirely by the loss of two cards. Therefore, all Tanya needed were three Cancels at worst.

Given that cancelling out was very easy in Golf, she wouldn’t need to worry about that. To be safe though, she went for Queens and Jacks. Players will instinctively avoid high point cards, and her cheating opponent especially wouldn’t even consider picking up a 10-point card.

With her swiped Two from earlier, Tanya needed only one other Two card to reach a total score of zero. A very likely chance if she extended the playing time as much as possible.

At that point, it became a simple waiting game.

Dol never stood a chance. She lost before the Game had even started.

With her parting remark, the Argent left. Behind her, she could hear Dol’s head drop onto the table with a _thump_. It was no concern of hers now. She needed to reserve a room with her hard-earned money.

And wouldn’t you know it, there was an Inn right here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It's not cheating if you don't get caught!" said Tet.  
> "Hell yeah. That's rad." said Tanya (probably)
> 
> If you're a fan of Stephanie Dola, sorry. She's one of the NGNL characters I've swapped. You can probably guess with who.  
> Jibril will still be around. Later though.


	3. Becoming Queen (Part One)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this out in one sitting, since I had a flash of inspiration. Visha is here!

**Just Past Noon**

**Double Blank Inn**

**Elkia City, Elkia Kingdom**

The Inn door opened without a creak. Clearly, someone kept the hinges well-oiled. Not like it mattered if they made noise or not. The liveliness of the oddly packed Double Blank Inn would have drowned out any such creaking regardless.

Tanya surveyed the room. It was much easier to get a good view from inside rather than outside the window, unsurprisingly. The two teens she had noticed earlier were still playing. This was also unsurprising. It made sense for what seemed like an important card game to go on longer than Tanya little bet outside.

Perhaps she’d observe the game.

Not right this instant though. Securing her living space was tantamount. As such, the Argent walked around the ongoing game and headed for the most important-looking bartender.

“Pardon me, sir.” Tanya got the man’s attention. “Would you know who to speak with for lodgings here?”

The man finished shining a glass and put it away under the counter. “That’d be me, actually.”

“Cool, cool.” She pulled out her new money pouch. “Then I have one other question. How many nights would this-” Tanya placed a gold coin on the counter. “-get me?”

The man’s eyes gaze flicked from Tanya to the money pouch, then to the coin, then back at Tanya.

The Argent smiled. _Gotcha_

“I’m afraid that one gold piece is only enough for one night-”

“Ah!” Tanya raised a finger. “Nice try there. Let me give you some advice: don’t try and lie to me. We both know you can do better than that.”

“Tch.” The bartender scoffed. “Very well. One gold piece will get you three nights-”

Tanya raised another finger, forming a peace sign. “I’ll stop you again. I just told you not to lie to me.” She tilted her head. “What’s that? How did I know you were lying again? Two things. First, I saw others ask for rooms when I was outside earlier. My lip-reading isn’t the best in the world, but it gets the job done. And, get this, not a single one of them paid any more than a couple silver pieces for several nights of lodging.”

The Argent’s smile turned predatory.

“Second, when it comes to reading body language and tells, few have me beat. I saw you look at my money pouch. It’s awfully full, isn’t it? You’d really try and cheat a new traveler like me, just for some extra currency? For shame.”

She closed her two outstretched fingers together and pointed them at the man, mimicking a gun ready to fire. “Now, give me the _real_ answer. I won’t give you a third chance.”

\----------

Tanya leaned back against the bar. Her eyes swept across the room while her new room key spun around on her index finger.

_A week of lodging for just a single gold coin. And I have a bag almost full of them. Fantastic. Now what?_

A noise from the room’s center caught her attention. The brunette and the purple-haired girl were nearing the end of their game. And it looked like the brunette was losing, from the tears in her eyes.

This must be an important game if losing brought one of the players near tears. Further, the purple-haired teen must be at least somewhat skilled to win in the apparent high stakes.

Tanya blinked.

_Or… she could just be cheating._

From her spot at the bar, the Argent was well-placed to observe the girl’s cards. It’s not like it really mattered if an outside observer saw them, so anyone not participating in the game wanting a peek didn’t have to work very hard.

Most people didn’t though. It was impolite and bad form at best.

Of course, Tanya wasn’t from this world, so she didn’t really care.

_I feel a little bad for her opponent._ Tanya looked at the brunette once more. She grimaced slightly. _Yikes. She has no idea her opponent’s is duping her. And this looks important too. I wonder how she’s cheating. Those cards don’t look quite right…_

The Argent glanced around. Sober man, drunk man, drunk woman, sober woman looking to get drunk, hooded figure with colorful eyes, another drunk man-

_Wait._ Tanya discretely eyed the odd figure.

It was a woman with barely hidden blonde hair and eyes of a color she couldn’t quite distinguish. On top of her notable appearance, the woman just so happened to be staring at the card game affected by cheating. A moment later, blonde woman’s eyes glowed. It was unnoticeable to anyone not looking for it.

Tanya switched her gaze to the purple teen’s hand. Just as she suspected; one of the cards changed faces.

_Well now, isn’t that interesting. Cheating magic, huh?_ The gears in her head began to spin. _That could be useful. I wonder…_

She straightened from her position. Her new room was calling for her.

Cheating magic was great and all, but she had her own way of dealing with things. If the opportunity arose…

No reason she couldn’t lay some groundwork early. Just in case. 

As Tanya walked past the two teens’ table and game, she grabbed the tearful brunette’s shoulder and leaned down.

In the girl’s ear, the Argent whispered, _“She’s cheating you.”_

With that, Tanya let go and disappeared up the Inn stairs. Unbeknownst to her, the brunette watched her go for a moment, her expression an odd mix of sorrow, confusion, and hope.

\----------

**Late Afternoon**

**Tanya’s room, Double Blank Inn**

**Elkia City, Elkia Kingdom**

Tanya sighed as the battery on her DS finally died. Luckily, she had just saved her game. Fantasy worlds were cool and all, but electricity was one of her favorite things back on Earth. Good thing she never went anywhere without her solar charger.

Take that, random classmate. She knew it would come in handy one day. Now, where was that adapter…

She rolled over onto her stomach, blinding rifling through her backpack’s pockets. With her cloak folded on top of the room’s desk, she looked like just any other lazy 18-year-old on Earth.

The image was almost comical. A teen laying down, face pressed into the bed’s mattress while her hand flailed about in her pack.

A tentative knock interrupted this image.

Tanya picked her head up, brow furrowed.

Another knock, at little louder this time.

“Alright, alright.” The Argent peeled herself from her warm, comfy spot and padded over to the door. “I’m coming, hold your horses. Before you say anything though, I’m not buying-”

She pulled open the door, the pause mid-sentence. The brown-haired teen from earlier was there. And she was wearing… a bedsheet?

_Damn, that game really was high stakes, huh?_ _Although, she pulls it off well enough._

“May I come in?” The girl asked, gaze averted.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Tanya stepped aside. She gestured vaguely in the direction of her bed. “Make yourself at home, I guess.”

The brunette entered and quietly took a seat on the bed. Meanwhile, Tanya grabbed the room’s lone chair away from the room’s desk. Turning the chair around, she sat in it backwards, with her arms resting on the top of its back.

The Argent stared at her room’s new occupant for a moment.

“…So, who talks first? You talk first? I talk first?” She asked after few somewhat awkward seconds went by. She rested her head on her arms. “Well, I guess it’s too late for that, since I just talked. I don’t suppose you came here just to gaze bashfully at the floor while sitting on my bed.”

The girl looked up at that. She opened her mouth to speak. “You knew she was cheating.”

Tanya blinked as though surprised. _Finally._

“This ‘she’ is the purplette girl you played a card game against earlier, yeah?”

The other girl nodded.

“Okay, cool, just checking.” She raised her head and shrugged. “And?”

It was the brunette’s turn to blink, though her surprise was real. “And?! You knew she was cheating and didn’t help me! I lost almost everything!” She leaned forward; agitation was clear in her expression. “My grandfather’s dress, my boots, the tournament, everything! And it’s your fault!”

“Whoa there.” Tanya held up a hand. “Back up a second. First, I’m going to assume you meant that the dress you were wearing earlier was a gift from your grandfather, and not, say, _his_ dress. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Second, whatever you lost in your game with Miss purple-and-red had nothing to do with me. I don’t even know who you are. Here, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Tanya, and I generally don’t barge into people’s rooms in the afternoon while wearing just a bedsheet. Now it’s your turn.”

The girl leaned back with a huff before drawing herself up with the poise of a noblewoman. “I am Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov. My grandfather, Makoto Serebryakov, was the previous, now late, King of Imanity.”

Tanya whistled lowly. “Wow, that’s some grandparent. I would assume he has something to do with this ‘gambling tournament’ I’ve heard vague whispers about?”

“Yes.” Viktoriya frowned. “The tournament was the last part of his will. He wanted the next monarch of the Elkia Kingdom to be decided through a gambling tournament.”

“A gambling tournament to decide the fate of a whole kingdom?” Tanya raised an eyebrow. “Your grandfather sounds like an idiot.”

“Don’t talk about him like that!”

“And I assume you were competing in this tournament earlier. And you lost. The apple must not fall far from the tree.”

“Stop it!”

“Stop what? Telling the truth?” Tanya shook her head. “In fairness, your opponent was cheating. In reality, anyone with a working brain should have expected cheating in such a crucial event. I think if anyone is to blame here, it’s your grandfather. Not me.”

“That’s enough!” Viktoriya stood, worked up in righteous anger. It would almost be intimidating, if the girl wasn’t wearing a literal bedsheet. “No one talks bad about Grandfather. I challenge you to a Game!”

“Oh?” A predatory gleam entered Tanya’s eye. “Is that so? I’ll warn you right now, Viktoriya Serebryakov: I never lose.”

“Until now, maybe! I won’t let you tarnish Grandfather’s reputation anymore. So, pick the game!”

“Jeez, fine.” The Argent rolled her eyes. She held her hand out, palm facing the ceiling. “I’m feeling charitable, so I’ll give you a fighting chance. We’ll play Rock Paper Scissors. To make it easier, I’ll even play Paper.”

“You’re… telling me what you’ll play?” For some reason, Viktoriya seemed a lot less sure of her decision.

“Yep. If you’re so keen on defending your grandfather against an unbeatable opponent, it’s only fair to give you a chance.” Tanya nodded twice. Her hand dropped against the back of her chair. “What do you want, by the way?”

“R- right.” Viktoriya mentally shook herself. “If I win, you have to apologize for your insults and help me save the throne.”

“Help save the throne?” Tanya schooled her expression. “That’s a bit out of nowhere. What makes you think I can help you with that?”

“You noticed she was cheating when no one else did. I’m sure you can help somehow.”

The Argent smiled. “Well, I can’t argue with that. Now, if I win outright, you have to give me a spot to live somewhere nice. I’m thinking the castle might be comfortable enough for my tastes. You said you lost _almost_ everything. You did not mention losing your spot in the royal family, so I’m assuming you still live there, right?”

“That’s correct…” The brunette looked away for a second. “…Fine. That’s a fair trade, I think.”

“One more thing.” Tanya interjected. “I’d like to add another caveat to our bet. The winner will be allowed two favors of any magnitude from the loser. These are limited from causing outright harm and such, but otherwise, anything is fair game.” Her smile grew dark. “How about it, Viktoriya? Is dear old King Grandpappy really worth it?”

She knew just which buttons to press.

Viktoriya grit her teeth. “He _is_ worth it, and you _will_ apologize. I agree to these terms.”

“Then I agree to these terms as well. Let’s begin.”

**“”Aschente!””**

The magic of the Pledges tingled as the Argent stretched her arms above her head. “So, here’s the gist. If you beat what I throw out, you win. If I beat what you throw out, I win. Obviously. However, if we tie, I don’t have to apologize or help with the throne, and you don’t have to give me a place to live in the castle. The requests, however, will split, so we each get one.”

“So, if we tie, I can make you apologize or help save the throne. And you’ll make me give you a place to stay in the castle.”

Tanya simply gave a peace sign over her eye in response. “In this way, it can be said that a tie allows both of us to win. Clear enough?”

“Crystal.”

“Excellent.” Tanya’s arms flopped down. She held her right out in a lazy fist. “You can count it down for us. Go whenever you feel like.”

“In a moment.” Viktoriya, still standing, put a hand to her chin.

_Tanya said she would play Paper. In that case, the obvious play is Scissors. I don’t even have to think about it…_

Viktoriya glanced at her opponent. Tanya smirked in response.

The brunette stiffened.

_…Wait. She specifically said: ‘I’ll even play Paper.’ But, but, she said that before the rules were stated. She never said: ‘If I don’t play Paper, I lose.’ So, it was a bait to get me to play Scissors, right? That means she’ll play Rock! She was trying to trick me by claiming a false move before the Game was underway. In that case I should play Paper!_

“Okay, I’m ready.” Viktoriya raised her fist. _I’ve got her all figured out!_

The confident brunette started the countdown. “We throw on shoot. 3, 2, 1, Shoot!”

They threw out their hands.

“Eh?” Viktoriya blinked. She looked at her hand, then at her opponent’s.

They were both Paper. A tie. Meaning they both won.

Meaning she was wrong.

**Outcome: Viktoriya - Paper, Tanya – Paper. Mutual Win through Tie.**

**Game Over.**

“You look confused.”

“Huh?” Viktoriya gave her a lost look.

“I can’t say I understand. I mean, I told you I’d play Paper.” Tanya adopted a false look of realization. “Oh, I get it! You thought I was tricking you.”

Viktoriya sat back on the bed with a thump.

“Of course, that was exactly my intent. You thought so hard about my move that you psyched yourself out of winning outright.” The Argent shrugged. “Oh well. Anyway, a deal’s a deal, yeah? What’s your request?”

The shocked brunette attempted to pull herself together. At least it wasn’t technically a loss, right?

“I- I want-” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The throne was important, but…

“I want you to apologize to the memory of my Grandfather.”

Before Tanya could respond by herself, the Pledges kicked in and forced her too.

“I deeply apologize for insulting the memory of your beloved Grandfather. I’m sure he was a great man who taught and guided you well.” The words came out as if pulled by force. Tanya rubbed her throat once it was done. “Well, that was unpleasant. A forced apology seems a bit insincere, don’t you think? Wouldn’t you rather have help with the throne? You could have always asked for a genuine apology later.”

“It doesn’t matter. My Grandfather’s honor was at stake, sincere apology or not. He meant everything to me.” Viktoriya sighed. “Your room at the castle will be readied tomor-”

“Not so fast, Viktoriya. I don’t recall naming my request just yet.”

The brunette blinked. “But you said you’d make me give you a place to stay right? At the castle?”

“Nope.” Tanya said, popping the P. “That’s what you said. I never responded, remember?”

Viktoriya froze.

**_“So, if we tie, I can make you apologize or help save the throne. And you’ll make me give you a place to stay in the castle.”_ **

**_Tanya simply gave a peace sign over her eye in response._ **

_She didn’t respond! She planted the idea in my head early on, just like I thought she did by announcing Paper as her throw earlier. A complete mix up!_

“What do you want, then?” Dread filled Viktoriya as Tanya gave her a sharp grin.

“It’s really quite simple.” She pointed at Viktoriya. “Here’s my request: fall insanely, madly, irrevocably in love with me for thirty seconds.”

“Wh-!?” The Pledges went to work before anything else could be said. “AAHH!! I LOVE YOU TANYA!!”

Jumping from her spot on the bed, the lovestruck brunette rushed to her side.

“You’re so cute and kissable!!” Viktoriya grabbed Tanya in a tight hug. Her… figure squished against the Argent’s own. The bedsheet left little to the imagination, and the beauty of the royal was not lost on her. Especially when said beauty was currently so up close and personal with her.

She imagined that this was what Heaven must feel like.

It was short-lived. Unfortunate, but by design.

Once the thirty seconds were up, Viktoriya’s hugging became much less suffocating.

“What just happened?” Viktoriya dropped to the floor as Tanya stood from her chair.

“Just a little experiment. Don’t worry too much about it.” She walked to her bed, fishing her phone from her jeans’ pocket. “So, the Pledges really _can_ do almost anything. Even induce love. Okay then. I think I’ve got a plan.”

“A plan for what…?” Viktoriya gazed at the Argent, awe in her expression. _Just who was this woman?_

“I told you earlier. My name is Tanya.”

_Oh, I said that out loud._

“What I didn’t mention was my title.” Tanya turned with a flourish of her jacket. The late afternoon Sun glowed through the window, giving her an almost ethereal backdrop. “I’m known as the Argent. And I never, ever lose.”

She held out a hand.

“Now, let’s go save this throne of yours. If it’s decided through a game like you said, then we’ve already won.”

Viktoriya grasped the Argent’s hand like a lifeline.

_Grandfather… is this who you were searching for? The human that would save Imanity?_

_Is the Argent the answer?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More differences of NGNL canon. It's an AU after all. 
> 
> Thanks for Reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably be one of my longer fics. Also, Tanya is definitely not the only Youjo Senki character we'll see. Obviously.
> 
> Stay tuned!


End file.
